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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8211
Today's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides valuable
information for those who care about a nation's young people and who believe
that work is a valuable part of their development. This new longitudinal study
gives us a clearer picture of young young people and the work they do.
The report shows that more than half of 14-year-olds and nearly
two-thirds of 15-year-olds have some work experience while those ages. Although
more youngsters have work experience in "freelance" jobs like baby-sitting and
mowing lawns while aged 14 or 15, nearly one-quarter of 14-year-olds and more
than one-third of 15-year-olds work in regular jobs as employees.
It goes even further and shows that girls are more likely than boys to
have work experience when 14 years old, but boys of that age are more likely to
have regular-rather than "freelance"--jobs. Work experience varies markedly by
race and ethnicity. Nearly two-thirds of whites engaged in some kind of work
activity compared to slightly more than 40 percent of Blacks and Hispanics
while age 14. These patterns are similar, though less pronounced, for
15-year-olds.
We know that early work experiences, in moderation, can benefit
teenagers' development and maturity, as well as their economic circumstances.
But today's report also reminds us that we must continue to pay close attention
to the circumstances of their work experiences. We must assure that young
workers are safe and healthy, and are not detracted or distracted from what
needs to be their primary occupation: as students.
The study also reminds us of the gaps in employment opportunities
between different groups in America that emerge even at young ages. We must do
everything we can to close these gaps before they widen any further over time.
I welcome the important contribution of this on-going survey to our
understanding of the issues affecting our young people. The information the
survey will provide over the coming months and years will enrich our knowledge
and understanding of the challenges facing today's youth and their responses to
these challenges. As we trach young people, we will also be able to see what
influence work during teen years can have on a career.
The insights we gain from this new data source will inform the important
public policy choices we must make which affect our youth our nation's greatest
asset.
Note to Media: Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics released
initial findings from its first wave of interviews from the "National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997." The National Longitudinal Survey follows a
nationally representative sample of more than 9,000 young people who were 12 to
16 years of age at the end of 1996.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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